Pages of the Past: The big football game that never happened

From the archives of the Roaring Fork Valley Journal
(Available for public perusal at the Carbondale Branch Library)

Oct. 27, 1977

The Journal reflected on “the first big game” — a planned 1921 football showdown between Roaring Fork and Glenwood Springs. The entire male population of the school formed the 11 man team, which ultimately opted not to compete. “We got cold feet,” recalled Eddis Fender. “I mean, they were really big. To tell the truth, we didn’t play anybody that year. We had a perfect record: 0-0-0. We practiced for four years and never did play a real game.” The ’77 squad, by comparison, had beat Glenwood in two out of three games since joining the AA class in ’74 and were pretty confident heading into their next bout.

In other news… Julianne Crane explored what you could get for four bits in Basalt: a square neck carriage bolt at the Western Auto Catalogue Order Center, yogurt at Arthur’s Healthy Food Store, a draft beer at the Midland Bar and Cafe, a local call, a load of laundry or a quart of gasoline.

Oct. 29, 1987

Jim Crotty, Michael Lane (aka Arkansas Slim) and Nurse the Cat, passed through town in the 1972 van from whence the published “Monk” magazine. Their search for “reclusive visionaries, masters and healers of the New Age” lead them from San Francisco through Sedona and “The Harmonic Convergence” and on towards Aspen, laying out the periodical in campgrounds as they went. According to reporter Lynn Burton, the seemed particularly interested in Roy Rickus and the battle for Penny Hot Spring.

In other news… Glenwood’s John Klusmire made it into People Magazine for noting of Rocky Mountain Institute that “People expect Amory to say ‘Let’s kiss a tree,’ but he talks right to their pocketbooks instead.”

Oct. 30, 1997

Former Olympic Ski Team Coach Bob Beattie had floated the idea of building a ski slope behind Basalt High School. With old equipment from Highlands up for grabs and Aspen Ski Co. Vice President Bill Kane interested and already conducting feasibility studies, the idea appeared far from ludicrous. Said Mayor Rick Stevens, “It’s a natural. It’s a north face slope; it holds snow really well… We are only talking about 250 to 300 vertical feet worth of slalom gates, but it offers the opportunity to train right here in Basalt.”

In other news… The Roaring Fork Rams’ playoff hopes were dashed by Eagle Valley during a wicked winter storm which The Journal attributed to El Niño.

Nov. 1, 2007

The Town was weighing potential options to pay for a solar electric system on the roof of the new Recreation Center, which was believed to be structurally able to support up to a 50 kilowatt array. A power purchase agreement seemed like the best option, with Sol Energy being the prime candidate to arrange such a deal.

In other news… Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea” — Carbondale’s “One Book One Town” pick — was slated for several local talks.